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Suspense over new Russian govt
21/09/2007 12:05 - (SA)
Sochi - President Vladimir Putin was to address international investors on Friday at a high-powered economic forum, while Russia awaited a government shake-up from its new prime minister.
Joining Putin at the meeting with business leaders in the southern Russian city of Sochi were several top-ranked ministers whose jobs were hanging in the balance.
The Kremlin leader, who is to step down after presidential elections on March 2 next year, was due to address the forum at 10:30 GMT in a speech that will be closely watched for any signals about the new government.
The reshuffle, which also comes less than three months before parliamentary elections, follows last week's surprise appointment by Putin of a little known finance official, Viktor Zubkov, as prime minister.
Under the constitution Zubkov had seven days after his confirmation on September 14 to present the new cabinet, which would make Friday the deadline.
Zubkov presented a draft version to Putin earlier this week, although no details have been made public.
Zubkov signalled major changes
In the meantime the old cabinet ministers have temporarily kept their posts. The one change announced was that the defence minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, would step down because he is married to Zubkov's daughter.
There is intense speculation in Russia over what the reshuffle will say about the economic course in the world's biggest energy producer, with many newspapers predicting that Trade Minister German Gref and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin will be sacked.
Both men, who have maintained close ties with Western counterparts as Russia's economy has surged at a pace of seven-percent annual GDP growth under Putin, were due to address the Sochi conference.
Also addressing the conference was First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, who is widely tapped as a possible successor to Putin in the March 2008 election.
To date no heavyweight figure has announced a bid for the Kremlin.
Chairing his first full cabinet meeting on Thursday, Zubkov signalled major impending changes in the government, berating ministers for not working hard enough and not following Putin's orders.
Zubkov is not expected to speak at the Sochi forum.
The forum brings together hundreds of domestic and foreign investors and regional officials. Forum organisers said 230 agreements totalling billions of euros would be signed.
Forum participants were also expected to discuss investment in massive construction projects for the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Sochi.
The Russian government has outlined a nine-billion-euro spending plan for the games.
Most of the money will be spent on infrastructure projects, including upgrading electricity and transport networks, as well as building a new rail line, thousands of new hotel rooms, and new sports complexes.
- AFP
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